Civil Aviation Safety Authority of Australia (CASA) CEO and Director of Aviation Safety Pip Spence has predicted a Dubai-style air taxi service for Australia in the not too distant future.
“Advanced air mobility – or AAM – may sometimes seem like a mirage that’s perennially on the horizon but I believe the time is nigh,” Spence said, noting that Dubai is scheduled to launch a fully functioning electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) air taxi service this year, and that several US cities have also been testing eVTOLs.
“It won’t be long before they arrive in Australia. We have a project to develop licensing rules for piloted, passenger-carrying AAM flights and we’re developing a regulatory framework to support the safe design and operation of vertiports in Australia.”
In addition, CASA’s work on the certification of a home-grown eVTOL continues and the authority is working with the members of the National Aviation Authorities Network to give effect to the Network’s Roadmap for Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Type Certification.
“Integrating drones and AAM into Australian airspace is another important project,” Spence said, adding that CASA is working with Airservices Australia and the Department of Infrastructure on shared airspace. “We want to enable as much innovation without compromising safety.”
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Image: CASA